On Friday morning, we left for Kawai, a retreat center two hours south of Lima. We had time to share our stories, reflect on what we have experienced, and to prepare for our return home. Students also presented the interview-based research projects that they completed on service. We heard…
Early this morning, students began converging on Casa Goshen laden with suitcases and stories to swap. Weary travelers from Ayacucho and Arequipa arrived first, after a long night on the bus, followed by their friends from Chincha a few hours later. The students from Cusco landed shortly after and…
Bryce, Sharada, Jehan and Yejin are living in Arequipa, the second-most populous city in Perú, with just over 1 million inhabitants. The city of Arequipa is located in southwestern Perú, between the coastal desert and the Western Andes. It is surrounded by three volcanoes and is a popular tourist…
Christian, Evan, Joe and Matthew are completing their service assignments in and around the city of Cusco. The Cusco region is located in the Andes of southeastern Perú. The region’s capital city of Cusco, which sits at just over 11,000 ft., was once the capital of the Inca empire…
Ben and Gabe are living and working in the district of El Carmen in the Chincha province. The province of Chincha is about three hours south of Lima in the department of Ica. It is located in the valley created as the foothills of the Andes begin to descend…
Nick, Jen, Bobby, Ming and Evan are living and serving in Ayacucho, a region in the south central Andes. The city of Ayacucho, also known as Huamanga, is the capital of the region and is famous for its 33 churches, as well as its elaborate Holy Week celebrations which…
Our group spent the last week of the study portion in Cusco and the surrounding region known as the Sacred Valley. This region formed the heart of the Inca Empire which flourished in Perú from around 1400-1533 and extended along the Pacific coast of South America from Chile to…
This week, we wrapped up our studies with our final lectures, student speeches and Spanish classes, and we looked ahead to the service portion of SST, which is just around the corner. Not only that, we also hosted a party! We had our final lectures and language classes…
We took a look at some very challenging topics this week, including healthcare for the poor, the educational system in Perú, and the history of violence and conflict. We spent the first part of our week studying the Terror Times — the period of conflict between revolutionary groups and…
Photo credit: Miguel Ballumbrosio We read, danced, sculpted, painted, and drummed our way through our third week in Perú. From ceramics to the cajón peruano to poetry, we explored the rich cultural heritage of the arts in Perú. Monday Our week began with a visit to the…
